Freedom Shall Come to Those Who Seek
by iamtherealmaverick
Summary: Harry is having dreams again. Voldemort knows and is using them to torture him. What happens when Harry sees something that he will go to the ends of the world to prevent? Time is running out for him to save his love. This is SLASH, NLHP
1. Smell the Blood

**_Disclaimer:_** If Harry Potter were mine I'd not be doing this. This is the only time I'll be posting a disclaimer for this fic, unless something new comes up. It holds true for the whole thing though.

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**Freedom Shall Come to Those Who Seek**

**Chapter 1: Smell the Blood**

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**H**arry was in a cold, dark place in someone else's mind. He was dreaming of Voldemort. No, he _was_ Voldemort. There would have been a sick feeling in his stomach if he had been in his physical body, but as it was, even in his mind he felt queasy.

He, or rather Voldemort was standing in the middle of a raised dais, surrounded by Death Eaters. And blood.

There was blood _everywhere._ On the walls, the floor, the people in the room and the ceiling. Those not fortunate enough to be on the dais, which meant everyone but Voldemort, were knee deep in the red liquid. Even worse was the random body parts that floated by, an arm here, a leg there, glistening red.

Harry shuddered and kept to the shadows of Voldemort's mind. He did not want to be noticed. He was haunted by thoughts of the gruesome deaths that these people must have had, glad that he had missed that part of tonight's little gathering. However all thoughts fled when Voldemort spoke.

"Bring in the boy." There was no visible emotion in his voice but his mind was full of glee.

Harry's attention was captured by a small figure being dragged along in between two Death Eaters, near a door that was almost hidden.

Neville.

Unconscious.

Only capable of one thought, Harry watched as Voldemort played with Neville before banishing him from his sight, still alive. Harry's brain screamed. _I have to help him._

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_**To be continued.**_

**_A/N:_** Well since no one is likely to ever read this, let alone review (judging from my track record) I promise to dedicate this to anyone who does. That said, I'm writing this purely for my own enjoyment, as it goes. No idea how long it will wind up being.

Feel free to review. If you've gotten this far, you may as well. :D It is greatly appreciated.


	2. Come for Me

**Freedom Shall Come to Those Who Seek**

Chapter 2: Come for Me 

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**H**arry woke up in a cold sweat, a scream emerging from his lips that was loud enough to wake the dead. He clutched around in his bed for someone lying next to him. Said someone was busy trying to calm Harry down.

"Shh love, it was only a dream. Only a dream, shh, its all right now…" Neville whispered into Harry's ear, trying to get him to calm down. Gradually Harry stopped screaming and simply clutched at Neville, crushing him to the other boy's chest.

For a few uncomfortable moments, Neville allowed this, then slowly maneuvered them both into a much more comfortable position. It had been like this for the past several nights. Harry would wake from a dream that involved some sort of horrible torture, featuring Neville and then it would be up to him to try and calm him down. To convince him that he was not dead, dying or maimed beyond belief.

It was getting harder and harder to convince Harry that he was whole and hale.

Neville murmured soothing things as he stroked Harry's back in gentle circles. He wondered who he should tell about the dreams. Convincing Harry wouldn't be a problem anymore, but who could they trust?

Enough people had problems with them being a couple, though for all appearances, they had adjusted well enough since their fifth year, when they had come out, but if he were to mention the dreams that Harry had been having…

No, there wasn't anyone they could really trust with this. Even Dumbledore wouldn't likely believe them. He was too set in his view of the world where his Golden Boy was nice and straight, interested only in saving the world and girls. Hell, he didn't even think that the old man had truly accepted that Sirius was gone.

The old man had been cracking for a while now. He was getting worried.

Of course, Neville hadn't said anything to anybody. Not even to Harry. Dumbledore was the last person that Harry really had that he felt he could trust with anything. Oh sure there were others, but Dumbledore had been the first, and was therefore the most important in Harry's views.

There had to be somebody who could help them…

As Neville settled back into sleep, wrapped protectively around his lover, he imagined he saw black eyes sneering coldly at him. Shivering, he tightened his grip on Harry and drifted off.

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_**To be continued.**_


	3. If You Wish

**Freedom Shall Come to Those Who Seek**

**Chapter 3: If You Wish **

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**W**hen he woke for the second time, Harry felt someone wrapped around him. He began to struggle, but upon recognizing Neville's scent, calmed down enough to ascertain that he had not disturbed his rest. Again.

Looking over, he found to his surprise that Neville was already awake and looking at down at him with concern. His face must have conveyed his puzzlement because Neville said

"Harry, you had another dream." His world came crashing back down on him. The pain, no agony of watching Neville being tortured, decapitated, skinned alive…you name it, and he had seen it in his dreams. The Dark Lord had found his most effective weapon against The-Boy-Who-Lived. His love.

Silent tears started to flow down Harry's cheeks, and Neville held him, kissing them away. After some time, they untangled themselves and rejoined the world, preparing for the new day with trepidation.

Neither of them put voice to their thoughts, but by an unspoken consensus, they had decided that they had to tell someone about Harry's dreams. Dark eyes and a sneer floated in Neville's vision. He shivered, sensing something about the vision. Something he couldn't quite pinpoint.

Harry noticed the shiver and slid his arms around the other boy comfortingly. His question

"What is it love?" Floated in the air. Unanswered. Neville decided that he wouldn't say anything until he was sure. Until he could save his love, he would not bring Harry's world crashing down on him. He would protect him from that pain. He wanted nothing more than for Harry to be safe.

Whatever it takes, he vowed. Whatever it takes.

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_**To be continued.**_

**A/N:** Shorter chapters are easier to write and that's all I'm going to say.


	4. Do You Dare?

**Freedom Shall Come to Those Who Seek**

**Chapter 4: Do You Dare? **

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**T**he boys made it to the Great Hall in time for breakfast, and joined their classmates for the day's routine. Nothing of note occurred throughout the day, until their final period. Of course it had to be potions.

Harry and Neville partnered up, as usual. They seemed to make fewer mistakes when working together, doubtless the only reason Snape allowed them to. It was, however, by no means a guarantee. Every so often, there would be a minor explosion coming from their bench. Today was one of those days.

Harry, still distracted by his vision like dreams slipped a bit as he was pouring in a solution of ground acorns, powdered unicorn's hoof and melted marshmallows. Neville hadn't noticed…then.

Unfortunately, they had been making a variation of the Dreamless Sleep potion, which if made incorrectly, became flammable. Incredibly flammable. What's more, the flames spread with an amazing speed.

The mayhem was unprecedented, even by the Marauders and Weasley twins.

Later, in the smoke and water filled classroom, the boys received a week's worth of detention. Snape also took a hundred points from Gryffindor. Just to prove that he could. (He was having a bad day.)

They were to report to him that night after diner. He planned on making their lives a living hell.

After diner, the boys trudged down to the dungeons. Facing their professor as he handed out their tasks for the night, Neville noticed his dark, cold eyes, staring down at them with their trademark sneer.

He remembered that morning, how he had seen them hovering in his mind's eye when he tried to think of someone who could help them.

_Whatever it takes_, he had vowed. _Whatever it takes for Harry to be safe. _

Resolute, he faced his feared professor's gaze, head on and opened his mouth to speak.

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_**To be continued.**_

He was having a bad day...hey, to be fair, they just burnt his classroom down.

**A/N:** Thanks to my reviewers _lou_ and _chiara_. You are wonderful!


	5. Can You See?

**Freedom Shall Come to Those Who Seek**

**Chapter 5: Can You See? **

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**S**nape listened to Neville's discourse without interruption. Upon completion, there was absolute silence. His hard black eyes never wavered from Neville's own, surprisingly steady, gaze.

Harry stood by, his eyes screwed tightly shut, against harsh reality. Until Neville had confessed to Snape, he had been able to maintain in his mind that it was all just a dream. Now that illusion was gone. Clutching Neville's hand, he felt that he had nothing left to hold on to in front of Snape's piercing stare. He felt naked.9s sake. _Whatever it takes_, he had vowed. _Whatever it takes for Harry to be safe._

He had no idea just how far he would be forced to go, though, looking back, he realized that the moment when Snape bent over and clutched his forearm in pain that it was a good premonition of things yet to come.

They could never truly be free… 

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_**To be continued.**_


	6. Find the Way

**Freedom Shall Come to Those Who Seek**

**Chapter 6: Find the Way**

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**A **plan began to form in Snape's mind as he apparated to the Dark Lord's manor. It was a pitiful plan, but the only one that he could possibly envision succeeding. The definite downside to it was that he was going to suffer a lot of pain. But, he thought, the outcome could be worth it. 

Of course the other downside was the high likely hood of death. A very painful, humiliating death. _What the fuck, _he muttered to himself, _it's not like I really have anything worth living for anyways._

So being the self-sacrificing, evil, slimey bastard that he was, Snape approached the Dark Lord's pedestal and, bowing low, reported an astonishing mixture of skillfully crafted lies and half-truths, in the hopes of sparing the wizarding world's "savior".

And, miracle of miracles, he was not cursed even once.

The Dark Lord's evil laughter resounded in Snape's ears as he left the lair for what had, up until the past hour, been his most cherished sanctuary. His potions classroom. Where two of his least favourite students waited apprehensively for him.

Cradling his head in his hands, as though it had been cursed off during his interview, he wondered what he might have done that would so offend Lady Fortune that she would curse him with such a hand.

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_**To be continued.**_

_Chapter dedicated to Sarah. Thanks, you're the reason I'm still working on this one._


	7. I’ll Never Feel

**Freedom Shall Come to Those Who Seek**

**Chapter 7-9: I'll Never Feel**

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**Chapter 7: Take Me Home**

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**H**arry waited, holding tightly onto Neville's hand. He trusted the other boy, but was not so sure about Snape. The man hated him…and yet it had almost seemed as though he would be willing to help them. Harry shuddered at the thought of what Snape might call 'help'.

Neville sat there, staring at Harry. He had promised himself that he would take care of the smaller boy, and he would do it. He just hoped that he had made the right choice. If his plan backfired…

It wasn't worth thinking about, he told himself, because there was no way that his plan wouldn't work.

After all, it wasn't like the evil dark lord was going to pass up the Golden boy, handed to him on a silver platter….was it?

As Severus Snape disapparated, Voldemort smiled evilly. Oh yes, the snake-man was happy. It wasn't as if one had their mortal enemy decide to join one's ranks after all. True, the boy would probably want to be one of the higher ranking Death Eaters to start with, but compromises could be made for one such as he.

Oh, he would have so much fun with this.

Take that, Dumbledore.

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**Chapter 8: You'll Never Be Free**

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**S**torming into the classroom, silently, yet with a certain menace about him, he approached the two boys that he had left there. Snape had returned. He glared at them for a moment. 

Harry just sat there, staring down at his lap, trying to disappear. Something about him caught Snape's attention. He looked, truly looked at the boy for the first time.

Neville, noticing his interrogating gaze, glared back at him, wrapping his free arm around the dark haired boy, but his glare lacked a threat. Instead, it was questioning.

And pleading.

Severus didn't know how much more of these two he would be able to take, they were turning his whole life upside down.

It was time to tell them exactly what they had bargained themselves into.

They were his now; Voldemort's.

The light was officially screwed.

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**Chapter 9: Pain Calls Me**

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**H**arry took the news better than Neville had expected. In fact, he just sat there and nodded, head down, gaze fixed on his lap. Neville and Snape talked, Harry merely listened.

Finally, just as they were about to leave, he asked one question, but it was one that would shatter the world.

When, he inquired, would he get the mark. No need to ask what mark it was that he was referring to.

Snape just sighed tiredly. He had been hoping like hell that they would be able to deal with that question later. Unfortunately, he had his orders.

The answer was simple. As soon as Harry asked that question.

They had one more midnight stop to make before heading off to bed.

On the bright side, the dark lord would be extremely pleased. Maybe, Severus dared to think, maybe I'll escape torture twice tonight.

If only he should be so lucky.

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**_A/N: _**There's a long one for you…I really should do that more often…

_**To be continued.**_


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